Allstars in Argentia: Keith Duggan in Buenos Aires sees an old sport win new fans in a sedate and unlikely setting.

After long years of quiet, the nations met again and charmed one another at the Hurling Club in Buenos Aires. Saturday night's exhibition at the sedate social club on the outskirts of the city was mostly about tribute, a remembrance of the Argentine hurling games that were inevitably silenced by distance and war and a million other problems.

How the founders of the game in these most unlikely settings - William Bufflin of Offaly, Miguel Ballesty and PJ Harte - would have relished the sight of the best players in the modern game thrilling their descendants on a balmy evening.

Goals were the demand of the local people and there were plenty of those late on as the Eircell Vodafone All Stars of 2000 beat the All Stars of 2001 5-11 to 3-13.

However, the most startling aspect of the game was the preternatural display of shot-stopping from Tipperary goalkeeper Brendan Cummins. He deflected at least five point-blank shots and was sensational in the frenetic last quarter when the players, bowing to public demand, more or less abandoned the notion of points entirely and went full-blooded for goals.

Afterwards, someone surmised that even allowing for the laid-back nature of the game the crowd of 500 might have witnessed the finest show of goalkeeping in the history of the game. Cummins himself was less impressed. "Ah, sometimes you get lucky," he said, shrugging.

There were enough touches and fine shooting to give the Argentine-Irish a flavour of what the game is about now and most were in agreement that the sight of Cork's Diarmuid O'Sullivan clearing a ball downfield is one of the more prodigious sights in any sport. The teams were reduced to 13-a-side because of the relative tightness of the pitch and they revelled in the space. As a game it was meaningless but as an event, it will be remembered.

"I was talking to an 84-year-old Argentine lady whose husband used play the game here many years ago and she gave a perfect summary of the match," said GAA official Seán O'Laoire afterwards.

"She noted that without the partisan crowds and the county alliance, the spirit of the game was different. You know, she understood succinctly what the association and the games are about at home."

Argentines do nothing in a hurry. Before the match, scheduled for 6.30 p.m., the Hurling Club president Alex Quinn and secretary Dickie McAllister stood in the shade and just delighted in the setting. After a wait of half a century, what was the rush? But by the end of the evening, the pride that they felt at hosting the Irish teams was evident in the hospitality.

It was close to midnight when GAA president Seán McCague stood up in the dining room of the Hurling Club and, in what was a memorable piece of heartfelt rhetoric, he welcomed the Argentine Irish back into the loop and vowed that this trip would rekindle a permanent relationship.

"A lot of preparation went into making this visit possible and the hope now is that this will be the first of many future visits," said Ursula Slattery, the Irish Ambassador to Argentina. "People I think are rediscovering their roots now - the distance between the countries does not present the problems it used to. So I think this is a new beginning."

But the direction is less certain. Although last night's exhibition was preceded by a puck about between young Argentine-Irish lads, it is more or less accepted that hurling has long since ceased. The Hurling Club is primarily a hockey and rugby establishment although its walls are shrines to its GAA heritage.

"I don't think it would be possible to see a revival of the game here, unless maybe more first generation Irish came to work, " says O'Laoire.

"But this was a genuinely moving experience for everyone and I think that emotion was reflected in Seán's (McCague's)words. There are so many fascinating stories from people who know precisely where their ancestors left from in Ireland and when and the interest and affinity towards home is incredibly strong given the length of time so many of these families have been here.

"So I think it is safe to say that there will be a lot of communication from this time on and great efforts will be made to ensure that the Argentine-Irish feel involved and included by the GAA."

ALL-STARS 2001: D Fitzhenry, D Ryan, P Maher, O Canning (0-1), L Hodgins, E Corcoran, T Dunne (1-0), E Enright, M O'Leary, J O'Connor, K Broderick (0-1), O Moran (0-4), B Begley (1-2), K Kelly (1-5).

ALL-STARS 2000: B Cummins, N Hickey, D O'Sullivan, F Lohan, C Moore (1-0), S McMahon, P Barry, J Dooley (0-5, 65, free), D Byrne (0-2), J Rabbitte (2-2), J Carroll (1-0), H Shefflin (1-1), K McGrath, J Deane (1-1).

Cathal Moore was selected on the 2001 team but played with 2000 as both Andy Comerford and Charlie Carter were unable to participate due to injury.